Beauty &amp; Books

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Friday, September 11, 2015

Review of belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb

**If you are receiving this post via email, you may want to check out my actual site as the email throws off the formatting**

I love getting samples of skin care because products like moisturizer and eye cream can be so expensive. There was a lot of hype about this product when it first launched as Sephora. I received a deluxe size sample with a purchase from Sephora.com that is 0.34 oz (a $7.69 value). At Sephora the full-size of this moisturizer is $38 for 1.68 oz. This is a review of a product that is newer to the States—belif The True Cream – Aqua Bomb. belif is a South Korean brand that fuses traditional and modern methods to create their skin care products. It is an aqua color (hence the name, I assume) that I couldn’t get to photograph right. It’s pretty, but weird to put a blue moisturizer on your face. From what I found, belif is not a cruelty-free brand.

The Claims:

This product is paraben, sulfate and phthalate free. It claims to hydrate the skin, reduce the appearance of pores, increase skin elasticity and fight off free radicals. It is suitable for all skin types.

My Impressions:

The Aqua Bomb has a light lemongrassy/medicinal scent. The consistency of this moisturizer is gel-like, definitely thicker than a normal moisturizer so I used this at night only. A little tended to go a long way. There were a few things I did not like about this product. I did not feel that it absorb well into my skin—hence why I used it at night only. It left my skin slightly sticky well past the time a moisturizer would normally absorb into my skin. When I wash it off in the morning I can feel the product coming off my skin—like it was a mask that you wash off after 20 minutes as opposed to a moisturizer. So, I’m not sure how this would work for oily skin since my dry skin didn’t even want to absorb it. Overall, I was not impressed with the product and I wouldn’t purchase it or choose it as a sample again. It has a 4.5 star rating on Sephora.com so it’s obviously popular with a lot of people, but this product is just not for me.

Referral Links:

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Friday, September 4, 2015

First Impressions: Colour Pop Haul

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Colour Pop is a brand that is beyond popular on YouTube right now so I had to see what all the fuss was about. Colour Pop is a cruelty-free brand that is available only online. The items are drugstore priced so I picked up a variety of products to try.

The packaging is okay. I didn’t expect anything fancy given the price point, but it does seem a little cheap. It’s pretty bulky plastic and the lid to the lip liner I got doesn’t stay on. Like, you turn it upside down, and it just drops right off. Also, some of the lipstick gets shaved off when you twist it up because the bullet isn’t lined up right in the packaging.

My order came with some cards that describe how best to use the products. Colour Pop eyeshadows and blushes are a unique formulation—not quite powder, not quite cream so there were some suggestions on how to apply (your fingers or a stiff synthetic brush). You also have to keep the cap on tight so that the product doesn’t dry out. They also included a cute note with my order!

Here’s what I ordered, and my first impressions:

Ultra Matte Lip in Bumble

I’ll start with what’s getting the most hype now. Colour Pop’s new Ultra Matte Lip liquid lipstick sold out immediately when they were first released. The second time around I picked out the color Bumble, a nice brick red (Colour Pop’s website describes it as a “dusty warm terracotta”). I love this color and it will be great for the fall. This product is matte, highly pigmented and dries fast. It applies nicely and smoothly—especially for a matte product—but I definitely recommend exfoliating before using. It dries down very matte and doesn’t budge. When I wore lip balm over it there was some slight transfer of the product to a glass, lips, etc. It settled into the lines of my lips (with or without balm). It has good staying power, but it did wear down around the inner part of my lips when I ate. Also, when it breaks down it kind of balls up which doesn’t look too good. YouTuber KathleenLights swatches the ultra matte liquid lipsticks here.

Lippie Stix in Lumière (Matte)

This lipstick (or lippie stix, as Color Pop calls them…) was made as part of a collaboration with KathleenLights, the same YouTuber mentioned above. This color looked gorgeous to me and I felt like it would be a good every day color year round—it is a berry nude. Even though this is a matte lipstick it isn’t drying like the Ultra Matte Lip, it is creamy like the Maybelline matte lipsticks, if you’re familiar with them. I still applied lip balm over it though. The product wore off in the middle of my lips after eating so I rubbed my lips together to redistribute the product. This is going to be a great color to take from the end of summer into fall.

Lippie Stix in Safari (Sheer)

Another new product line from Colour Pop is their sheer lip colors. I love sheer lip products, they look more natural to me no matter the color. Safari is a sheer orange color; it looks like you ate a popsicle. I’ve been looking for a good sheer orange all summer and this is it! It is easy to apply and reapply which is good because it wears off pretty easily. To me, this is to be expected because it is a sheer color that is balm-like. YouTuber EmilyNoel83 has a good lipswatch video of all these colors if you would like to check that video out here.

Lippie Pencil in BFF

creamy during application but then dries down, matte finish, goes on smooth good to wear alone (neutral on the brown side—90s lip that is in), as a lipliner for most lip colors or as a base to darken a lighter color or to top with gloss. BFF comes in 3 different shades depending on your skin tone, I got the lightest one, Browny nude. The one problem is I’m not quite sure how to sharpen it. The instructions say to sharpen it, but it’s made of plastic, not wood—and it seems silly to sharpen plastic. Maybe I’m missing something here.

Super Shock Shadow in Hustle

The consistency of the super shock (eye) shadows is not quite cream and not quite powder—it’s almost spongy. I picked this color because I have been looking for a deep brick red/cranberry eyeshadow. I was disappointed when I swatched this color and it was more along the line of plum instead of cranberry. It looks a little more cranberry-ish on the eyes which is good. This color isn’t very pigmented and it takes a lot of work to build it up. I applied it with my finger (but this is hard to do in your crease), so I ended up using the Modern Minerals Duo Fiber Mini Round Brush I received in my February Boxycharm (read my review here) which worked okay. I put the bareMinerals 5 in 1 BB Advanced Performance Cream Eyeshadow all over my lid, Hustle in the outer v/crease and finished the look off with Lumière—a great look for fall.

Super Shock Shadow in So Quiche

This eyeshadow is a beautiful olive green with a gold-pink shimmer duo chrome. Beautiful! I applied this with my finger all over my lid. Given the description this color had the potential to be obnoxious, but it is really quite nice. It has good staying color and there was no glitter fallout.

Super Shock Cheek in Bonus

Colour Pop blushes have the same unique consistency of the eyeshadows. This blush is a matte orangey color that would be great for spring/summer. I used the e.l.f. small stipple brush to apply this. It is very natural looking and you can build the color up. It has really good staying power too. I was looking for a good orangey/peach blush and I finally found it!

Swatches (left to right): Bonus, So Quiche, Hustle, BFF, Safari, Lumiere and Bumble

What do you think of the Colour Pop items I reviewed? Have you tried Colour Pop? Let me know your thoughts!

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Monday, August 31, 2015

First Impressions: Starlooks LooksBook Mini X Resort Edition Subscription Box

**If you are receiving this post via email, you may want to check out my actual site as the email throws off the formatting**

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this Starlooks LooksBook in the mail because I already received my Starlooks Custom Subscription Box for August (you can read my review here). The LooksBook Subscription Box is new to Starlooks. It is $12 per month, includes limited edition perfect size (about ¾ of full-size) products and gift cards. The LooksBook differs from the Custom Subscription Box in a couple of ways: you do not pick the products you receive in the LooksBook like you do with the Custom box and the LooksBook is meant to be a collection of products that go together. Starlooks is a company that carries cruelty-free, professional-level makeup. Full disclosure: Starlooks was kind enough to send me this box free of charge to review, so a big thank you to them! With that said, I will still give my honest opinion of the products I received.

Information insert on the LooksBook Box

The theme for August is “Resort.” The box the products come in is very sturdy and has a magnetic closure. The box contains the three products and an insert that gives tips on how best to use the products. The packaging is very nice and definitely gives more of an “experience” than the Custom Box does.

How the box looks when you first open it.

Tips on how to use the included products.

I’ve used each of the makeup products once (I just got the box in the mail) and wanted to give you my first impressions on them.

1. Starlooks Water Eyeshadow in WS1 Aqua (0.08 oz/2.5 g)

This eyeshadow stick is in a very pretty, subtle aqua color with gold shimmer. This color is on trend with other “mermaid” type colors that are popular right now. The product looks like it is aqua, but when you apply it to the eyes the gold really comes through and it looks gorgeous. It is blendable and the color is buildable—the It is a wetter formula for an eyeshadow stick and is a bit sticky—but I imagine the stickiness helps the product stay put. I really like this color and you get a ton of product.

Value: $15 (estimate, this product isn’t on the website yet)

2. Starlooks Highlighter/Blush Duo in BHD1 Tropic/Ritz (0.06 oz./1.6 g)

The highlighter “Ritz” is a golden champagne and is very strong. It gives an intense, pretty sheen to the cheekbones and is not glittery. You can definitely tell that the highlight is there, but it doesn’t look chunky or fake. This could double as an eyeshadow as well. The blush “Tropic” is a nice peachy/orange that has a sheen to it as well. Tropic is nicely pigmented so you don’t need a ton of product. My only complaint is that it’s a little hard to pick up the product because the pan is so small.

Value: $13 (estimate, this product isn’t on the website yet)

3. Starlooks Lipstick in LS1 Jet Set (0.03 oz./1.0 g)

This lipstick is a coral that is on the pink side. It adds a sheer wash of color, but is buildable to semi-opaque coverage. Starlooks recommends exfoliating the lips before applying and I definitely agree. This lipstick applies patchy and clings to any dryness on the lips. This product is not for me—I don’t like the way it applies and the color is too light so it washes me out.

Value: $9 (estimate based on perfect size lipglosses because this item is not on the website yet)

Swatches (left to right): Aqua Water Eyeshadow, Ritz Highlighter, Tropics Blush, Jet Set Lipstick.

And here are the gift cards I received:

1. $15 Gift Card to Torrain

Torrain makes tote bags, wallets, handbags, etc. out of recycled plastic products. The products are very unique and I like that the materials are upcycled. You can find them at torrain.org.

2. $50 to Versa Swimwear

This website has a special section for Starlooks members only, a nice touch. However, the swimsuits start at $85 and are definitely not my style. I don’t think I will be using this gift card. You can check them out at versaswimwear.com

3. $20?? Gift Card to The Laboratory

This site sells affordable jewelry, clothing and swimwear. This site is definitely more my speed. Check them out at shopthelaboratory.com.

Total Makeup Value: $37

Total Gift Card Value: $85 (?)

_____________________

Total Box Value: $122

I feel like this is a really well curated box. All the products not only reflect the theme of “Resort” but go together very well. The gold in the eyeshadow plays well with the highlighter and the similarity in color between the blush and lipstick allow the aqua of the eyeshadow to really shine. I really love the aqua eyeshadow—this is a color I would never choose myself but it is gorgeous! These colors are great for Spring/Summer and definitely leave you with a beachy, fresh look. I wish this box came out before the end of August because Fall colors are right around the corner.

If you’re interested in signing up for the Starlooks LooksBook Subscription Box you can use my myreferral link or hop onto Subscriptions.Starlooks.com.

Disclaimer: Starlooks sent me this Looks Book Subscription Box free for review. However, all opinions are 100% honest and my own. I do not provide positive reviews for payment or free products. Products that work for me may not necessarily work for you. This post is not sponsored.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Finish 5 By Fall 2015 Challenge: Update #1

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In this challenge, I am trying to use up five products by the beginning of Fall (September 23^rd). I first saw this challenge on PrettyPistol86’s YouTube channel. There is a whole community of YouTubers that do challenges like these throughout the year to try to finish up products in their makeup collections. I decided to jump on this challenge because I want to use up products I have that are not cruelty-free. Since I try so many products to review, I want to make sure I focus on finishing up some so I don’t have a lot of extra products lying around. You can read my introduction to this challenge here.

Here’s the progress I’ve made in the month I’ve been doing this challenge:

1. Philosophy Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion (32 oz.)

I didn’t make as much progress on this as I thought I would. You can see my starting line and the progress I’ve made since I introduced this challenge I’ve used up about a quarter of the product I had left. I thought I would be halfway done since I’m using it every day, but I don’t think that I will finish this up by September 23^rd. This lotion absorbs into the skin really well, which is always appreciated so that your clothes don’t stick to your skin. It has a slight floral scent that is not overbearing.

2. L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17 in N1 Neutral Soft Ivory

I’ve made some good progress on this foundation but I’m not sure if I can use it up by the 23^rd. I have over 50% of the bottle to go. I will be sad to see this foundation go, but I have a few other foundations I need to use up too.

3. L’Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

There is definitely less product on the mascara brush now, so I know I’m getting close to the end of this product. I’ve had this mascara open for a little bit and would have to throw it out at the end of September anyway so I wanted to use it up. This is an all around good mascara and it very popular among YouTubers. You can read my full review of this mascara here.

4. Maybelline Color Tattoo in 135 Hydrangea Hype

*sigh* I feel like I’m making no progress on this Color Tattoo even though I use it just about every day. I’m also getting sick if using this. Since it’s purple, I can’t use a lot of my other eyeshadows and I’m just getting bored with it. I didn’t think that I would use this up by Fall, but I thought I would have some noticeable progress. I’ve seen YouTubers doing “finish it up” challenges (oftentimes called “Project Pans”) where one of their products is a Color Tattoo—they seem to make good progress, but it’s not happening for me.

5. Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm in 04 Mega Melon

The Clinique Chubby Sticks are one of my favorite lip products. I’ve made good progress on using this up—I’m about halfway through as evidenced by the lines on the product cap. This color doesn’t go the best with the silvery-purple Color Tattoo so I wish I had thought that out better. It doesn’t look bad, just not ideal.

This is my first Project Pan Challenge and I’m definitely learning a lot; like, that I underestimated the amount of time it takes to use up a product. Oh well…

Are there any products you are trying to use up? Are you doing or contemplating doing your own Project Pan Challenge? Let me know!

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Monday, August 17, 2015

First Impressions: ispy Glam Bag August 2015

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ipsy is a monthly subscription box company created by Michelle Phan and is $10 a month. You get a mix of makeup, skincare and hair care items, usually 4-5 full- or deluxe sample size products in a makeup bag. When you sign up for ipsy, you take a quiz in order for the bag to be customized to your skin type/tone and your general preferences. You can retake the quiz as many times as you like. You can also review each product in your bag to help ipsy further customize future bags and earn points to purchase products. You also receive points when people sign up for ipsy through your referral link.

This month’s theme is “prep school” and the bag reflects that theme. The bag this month has a black and white houndstooth pattern with fuschia detailing on the zipper. The vinyl lining inside is also fuschia.

Product #1: noyah All-Natural Lipstick in Desert Rose (sample; 1.4 g)

This lipstick is a bubblegum pink color which was surprising given the name a look of the product in the tube, I thought it would be a rosey color. This is not a color I would ever buy for myself so it’s nice to get a sample in a subscription bag to add to my collection. Now I have a bubblegum pink if I’m ever in the mood for that color. This lipstick applies a bit patchy and settled into the lines of my lips so I would recommend exfoliating your lips first. I also think there are performance issues because the finish is matte. This lipstick claims to be all-natural, synthetics free and never tested on animals. The ingredient list looks pretty good, but then again I’m not an ingredients expert. A full-size (4.5 g) is $18 on the noyah website.

Value: $5.60

Product #2: Doll 10 HydraGel Cream Blush in Flirt (deluxe sample; 0.11 oz.)

This is almost a full-size product! The full-size on the Doll 10 website is 0.14 oz for $16. Warning - alittle bit of this cream blush goes a loooong way. I applied it with the e.l.f. small stipple brush. It is a pretty rose color, just apply with caution since it is very pigmented. It claims to be lightweight, blendable, buildable and natural looking. I would agree with these claims with the exception of natural looking. This claim I cannot speak to because I definitely applied too much so we shall have see the next time I try it. I can’t find information on whether this brand is cruelty-free or not.

Value: $12.57

Product #3: Lord & Berry Ultimate Lipliner in #3035 Nude (deluxe sample; 0.03 oz.)

This lipliner is a browny nude with a hint of pink. It could double as an eyeliner, I think. It has a creamy texture and is easy to apply. Lord & Berry is a Europe-based brand so I’m excited for the opportunity to try them out. I can’t find how big the full-size of this product is so I’m estimating the value based on the sizes of my other lipliners. The blogs I use for reference say that Lord & Berry have a questionable cruelty-free status, which is a little concerning…

Value: $13.50

Product #4: Albertini International Divine Skin Hydrator In Shower Body Moisturizer in Unscented (deluxe sample; 1 oz.)

In-shower lotions are popping up more and more lately so I’m glad to get to try one through ipsy. I haven’t tried this yet, but it claims to hold moisture/rehydrate your skin. It is made with women over 40 in mind so I wonder why ipsy sent it to me as I am nowhere near 40…maybe because I have dry skin. You can use this product two ways: either as an after shower moisturizer or you can apply it in the shower, lightly rinse it off and then towel pat dry. A full-size is $16 for 9 oz. This is a cruelty-free product (yay!).

Value: $1.78

Product #5: eco-beauty by La Fresh Group good night. night cream (deluxe sample, 0.5 oz.)

I was so, so, SO EXCITED to see this in my ipsy bag. I received the day cream version of this moisturizer in my January 2015 ipsy bag and absolutely loved it. I will be using this night cream once I get through the sample I’m using right now (review to come). This moisturizer claims to hydrate, smooth and plump skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and crow’s feet. It is free of parabens, sulfates, artificial fragrance, animal byproducts, etc.. It contains a lot of anti-aging ingredients, including the super popular hyaluronic acid. A full-size is $40 for 1.7 oz. This is a cruelty-free brand.

Value: $11.76

Swatches (left to right): noyah lipstick, Doll 10 blush sheered, Doll 10 blush, Lord & Berry lipliner

Overall Value: $45.21! I will use all of these products and am especially excited for the eco-beauty night cream. I will use the three makeup products (lipstick, blush and lipliner) and they are good compliments to what I have in my makeup collection. I’m interested to see how the in-shower body moisturizer works. I have tried a few different subscription boxes but none have consistently hit the mark like this one. ipsy delivers again!

If you subscribe to ipsy, what did you get in your bag?

If you’re interested in signing up for ipsy, feel free to use my referral link J

Referral Links:

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