Shimmery Spring Recommendations! (+ swatches)

It seems that Spring has finally arrived! I have a couple of products to bring to you today that you might enjoy if you are in the mood for some transitional spring-time shimmer and glow! As always, click on the pics for higher resolution.

The first product is from Catrice. It is the 3D Glow Highlighter in the shade Pinch of Rose. The pan contains 3 g of product for $4.89. The design mimics ABH's old design for their highlighters, but nevertheless I did find this highlighter pretty unique in its own right.

For starters, it's incredibly soft. Catrice claims that the pan contains "two tones," but I am not sure if I can make them out. Some squares look darker than other ones? Some swatches below:

 Here I tried swatching from different sections, to see if I could make out a difference. The farthest swatch is everything blended together.

And here we have everything blended out.

If you are concerned the product seems too dark for you, I have found the product's pink base looks quite flattering. The highlighter is much warmer in the pan, and I tend to see a silvery lilac reflect, which is quite cool. And don't let the finger swatches fool you- on the skin, it is less metallic and more "glass skin" finish. Highly recommend.

Next, another product from Catrice is their Eye Gloss stick, which I purchased at Ulta for $6.00. I quite like the concept of this, especially if you think about how Mac, Linda Hallberg, and Danessa Myricks all have a clear gloss like product, but for a lot more. Of course, the Catrice pen only contains 2 g, and I should note that I only use it on my face as a highlight. Still, I think it's a nifty product if you want a more natural shimmer and glow on your face.

We also have another lip icing from Pixi, which I picked up from Target for $14.00.  have reviewed the first one that came out as a limited edition collaboration with Chloe Morello. The one I picked up, Toffee, is like the Chloe Morello one but amped up.It is even more jam-packed with shimmer.It does the slightest grit, but also the same comfortable and hydrating formula.

 Pixi on left, Catrice eye gloss on right. 

Moving on, we have a new face product from Milani called Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer, in the shade Nude Glow, the lightest. It cost $11.00. According to Milani, this product provides an instant boost of hydration and brightness. Some reviewers claim it is a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Filter, but I can't verify that claim. All I know is that I find it absorbs quickly, and does leave a nice glow on the skin. I also enjoy the fact that it comes in a pump bottle.

 Unblended, left and blended, right.

And our last product is very exciting- the new Kaja Beauty Bento Bouncy Shimmer (oh my that's a lot of words) Eyeshadow in the shade Orange Blossom! Each shade in the trio contains 0.85 g of product, for a total of $21.00.

The shades are: Sandy Peach, Sun-Kissed Tan, and Baked Cinnamon.

 

Overall, the Orange Blossom Trio is quite pretty and quite easy to use! It has this multi-faceted yet glossy finish, and is just very pretty. I don't have anything else like them in my collection and have been really enjoying using them.

So that's all I got for today! Let me know if you have tried any of these!

Thanks for reading.

Shop My Stash: Lip Products

Though I am no means a lipstick/lip product collector, I have ended up with far more lip products than one could ever need. That being said, I am pretty terrible about remembering to use them. Typically, I apply a lip product with color before I leave the house, and then just use lip balm for the rest of the day.

I would like to get more use out of my lip products. So I picked four out of my stash to remember to use this week.

Here they are:

 We have:

1.) A NYX liquid lipstick/gloss thing from their Steampunk collection in the shade Ignite

2.) A Stila balm in the shade Grayson

3.) A Hard Candy lipstick in the shade Nudist

4.) Maybelline Shine Compulsion lipstick in Taupe Seduction.

I also swatched them below, but not in that order.

Below, the first shade swatched is Taupe Seduction. I bought this because I am a lover of all things taupe, even if this particular shade is incredibly rosy/mauve. It is incredibly glossy, and I am hoping it will be a bit moisturizing. I have used it a bit, but not have used it long-term.

The second shade swatched is Nudist. These lipsticks from Hard Candy have a really nice formula, albeit a bit too soft. Still, I think it's an excellent color and formula, and I do feel it is a bit moisturizing.

The third "swatch" barely appeared because it is so sheer. Grayson is a gray-tinted, minty lip balm that actually works well underneath under colors as a way to cool them down. By itself, you do get a hint of gray, but only a hint.

Lastly, I'm a little intimidated by this product from NYX, in the shade Ignite. Aside from the fact NYX was borrowing heavily from Fenty's hexagonal designs, the applicator on this gloss dispenses way too much product, if you're not careful. This gloss is extremely pigmented, slightly minty, and has a great color. I feel like I was not being careful enough with it in the past, which resulted in the product getting on my teeth. I am not a fan of the level of care I am supposed to use when applying this product, but it really is an interesting product I want to get an actual full day's use of.

A testament to how pigmented Ignite is is how it blends out, compared to the other lip products (excluding Grayson). Each swatch was pretty much even, but Ignite just would not fade.

I am intrigued to see how this week will go and will follow up with my thoughts.

Thanks for reading!

Wet 'n Wild Zodiac Lipgloss in Cancer, Virgo, and Pisces: Review and Swatches

The lipgloss train keeps on rolling! For $2.39 each, I picked up these three really pretty glosses from Wet 'n Wild. Gloss is making a comeback, and drugstores are making glosses with visible shimmer (my own little obsession) readily available.

The first shade I'll talk is Cancer. I felt compelled to buy this one because that is my sign, though I was skeptical. In the container, it just looks white. However, the gloss is actually much more complex, interesting, and flattering than that. It is a white-pink duochrome, with a slight golden sheen. When you apply it to the lips at first, you can see the white transform into a pearly pink. It's quite interesting! As the gloss wears down, you are left with a slightly milky pearly pink tint on your lips.

I did not think Cancer was going to be flattering, but I have been reaching for this gloss all week.

Pisces, Cancer, Virgo

Virgo, Cancer, Pisces

The next shade we can talk about is Pisces. Pisces is a very sheer pink gloss with loads of pink, purple, gold, and orange shimmer. The shimmers are especially visible in the out of focus, dark photo below.

Though it contains a lot of shimmer, the particles do not feel gritty on the lips, and wear easily. This gloss leaves a slight pink tint on the lips, with of course, a shimmer. Something about the final look on the lips is delicate but glamorous.

Finally, we have Virgo, the most pigmented gloss of this trio. It has a red-brown sheer base with green and silver shimmers. To me, it feels more appropriate for Fall, but I have been enjoying it. It has a more frosty effect than Pisces, but it is still very shimmery.

 These have a good wear time for glosses, 1-2 hours. They are a very light, slippery, but not oily or sticky formula.

They keep the lips from getting dry, but I wouldn't say they are necessarily moisturizing.

Overall, I am very impressed with these glosses, and would highly recommend them. I don't see myself getting anything else from this collection, though. I have enough face and eye powders. I do hope Wet 'n Wild continues making interesting and beautiful products like this.

Thanks for reading! 

Pixi x Chloe Morello Lip Icing Cake: Review and (Updated) Swatches

Today I found a product that blew me away. We are talking about a collaboration between Pixi and the beautuber Chloe Morello, a moisturizing lip products that contains glimmer and shimmer.

I have been on the hunt for lipglosses that rival more upscale brands, as well as indie brands, whose glosses contain larger, more complex particles of shimmer. For the drugstore, the most common shimmer gloss seems to be frost, or does not translate well on the lips. However, the lip icing absolutely does, and it stands apart from any gloss that I have ever tried.

According to the packaging, the product can be worn on its own, or on top of lip products. It is housed in a solid clear plastic container with the signature Pixi-green cap. The applicator is a flat doe-foot wand. You get 3.5 g of product for $14.


In the container, the product looks super interesting and complex, a reflective coppery/yellow gold/rose combination, with tons of shimmer. The gloss itself is sheer with a golden tint to it.



On the lips,  the look is a tad more subtle, but the end result is really pretty, and you do get lots of visible shimmer, which ranges from gold, pink, and even a bit of green.


There is nothing gritty about the way the product feels on the lips. For me, its consistency lies somewhere between a lip oil and a gloss. You do get a glossy finish, but the product is very moisturizing. It also lasts on the lips a good amount for a lip gloss- I would say 2-3 hours.

The scent of rosehip is present when I open the gloss, but it disappears when the gloss is applied. There is no "flavor" to the product at all, which I appreciate.

Ingredients:

 Swatches on the back of my hand with one swipe of the applicator (click for full size):

There is something really thoughtful about the way this product was designed, and I think this was an admirable collaboration. The gloss was everything I was looking for: long-wearing, moisturizing, shimmery, non-sticky, and not gritty. I think lipgloss fans will appreciate this product very much, and it has my full recommendation. 

Silk Naturals Boss Gloss in Big Wig: Review and Swatches

I am on a lip gloss kick, specifically in the mood for lip glosses that are hydrating, but also with visible sparkle. Before I found one of my HGs, a gloss by Pixi, I placed an order with Silk Naturals. They have a line of lip glosses called Boss Gloss, and their most neutral one with visible sparkle was Big Wig:

The product comes in a standard container, but the product is only visible when looking at the bottom of the tube. It was $4.75, and contains 3.5 mL, which is not a lot, but given the lip glosses I have purchased last week cost a lot more, I do not mind too much.

Shipping was pretty quick for me, and I got the product within a week of ordering.

The lipgloss has a light vanilla scent, which disappears once applied on the lips. The formula is not gritty and gives a decent shine and sparkle, as well as a cool-toned rose tint, while moisturizing your lips. I would say for a gloss it is fairly long-lasting, and fades away nicely, leaving behind a bit of glitter.

I would definitely purchase more gloss from Silk Naturals. Specifically, I am interesting in getting both Top Dog and CEO, as those contain shimmer.

Onto the swatches! On top of bare skin:

So, though the size of the gloss was disappointing, the quality and price is right and I will probably end up picking up more of these in the near future!

Lip Products: Collection and Declutter

Today I am going to go over my collection of lip products. I did not think my collection was overwhelming, but I did notice I was holding onto products that I never use.

 Let's begin first with my three favorite traditional lipsticks, all from the Maybelline Color Sensational line. From left to right, the colors are Grey Over It, Touchable Taupe, and Sin-a-Mon.

Swatched from left to right is Covergirl Melting Pout in "Gelebrity." After we have Grey Over It, a matte finish, both normal application and then blended out, Touchable Taupe, and Sin-a-Mon, both with a satin finish. All lipsticks (not the Covergirl gloss) are one swipe. 

What I love about these lipsticks is that they blend in and wear naturally, and is super flattering for me. Even Grey Over It, which is-as the name suggests- a strong grey leaning-taupe, is a bit jarring on first application, it blends into the skin. This is a fantastic line, especially from the drugstore, and I have no desire to declutter them. 

Next, we have more of my lipstick collection:

From l-r, we have Liquid Courage Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in Plum It Up, Mellow Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in Nude, Buxom Lipstick in Dolly, a Bite Beauty Holidy duo in Bronze/Pepper, a Covergirl Star Wars lipstick in 70, a Smashbox Lipstick in Victorious (I think- it's a bright fuschia), and two lip liners from both Bite Beauty and Ofra (keeping both).

The Liquid Courage Cosmetics lipstick I got in a duo from Ipsy, and I regret buying it. I held onto this one longer than the other one because I thought this one had an interesting formula (sparkles), but neither are worth it. I hate matte liquid lipstick, and this one never even dried down. It was sticky. Decluttered.

The Mellow lipstick was much sought after by me, as I got it with Ipsy points (when you could still buy things with Ipsy points), after I received the other option- the bright blood orange shade- in my glambag. That was when I first suspected that something was up with the point system and not being able to choose which shade I wanted, even though I filled out the survey and blah blah blah. Something about artificially creating a "need" for a product. Anyway, the lipstick is a nice rose brown, that is matte but comfortable and wearable. The smell of it also reminds me of marshmallows. Keeping.

Buxom in Dolly. This was a blind purchase from TJ Maxx, and one of my best.  A cool leaning neutral rose, with a satin finish. It has a comfortable, long-wearing formula, and I dread running out of it. Keeping.

Bite Holiday Duo in Bronze/Pepper. Pepper is a little too warm for me, but I am keeping it. The star of the show is Bronze- a shimmering balm that lasts forever and is super comfortable. It is much more comfortable than the pearl gloss that I reviewed a while back. Instead of those, Bite should have come out with a lipstick version. I also do not look forward to running out of bronze. Keeping.

Covergirl Lipstick in "70" (Star Wars). At first I was going to hold onto it because I thought it could be a dupe for Bronze. But not quite. The formula is runnier, the shade is more pink, and the shimmer sheers out. I also really do not like the scent of Covergirl lipsticks. Decluttered.

Smashbox Lipstick. This was a gift from one of my friends, so I am not decluttering it. I wish I had more opportunities to wear it- it is a cool-toned dark magenta.

I will also be keeping the two liners.

Let's move on to glosses/balms:

From left-right:
I will be keeping the Trust Fund Beauty Gloss. It is comfortable with a nice tint of color, but I should say that the smell is awful- like acrylic paint.

I will not be keeping the Smashbox Insta-matte lipstick transformer. I don't think it does that great of a job, and it feels too much like the silicone-primer . I don't actually like Smashbox as a brand too much, I've found. Decluttered.

Bite Beauty Pearl Thing: I've reviewed this before. It is not worth its price tag, and I am confident this line will be marked down in the near future. However, it is a beautiful product that I will wear more in the fall/winter.

Maybelline Melting Pout "Gel Lipstick" in Gelebrity. First off, I really love the formula of this. I bought this on a whim, selecting the brown color, and it was very flattering. However, I ended up popping off the applicator because I had to squeeze it through pretty hard and it was very difficult. Now I just apply it with a brush. Keeping.

Purlisse is a brand that learned of through Ipsy. Not really impressed with the quality of the gloss. Will continue to use, but would never repurchase.

Skin Fix Balm. Another buy in which I had done no research whatsoever. I love this. I would have probably bought the unscented one, but Vanilla Mint is not unpleasant. Keeping.

Also keeping the Korres Greek Yogurt Lip Cooler in Framboise. So this is an exfoliator and a hydrator. It was originally sold for about $20, but I bought it at TJ Maxx for $5.00. When I bought it, I did not know what to expect. It does exfoliate the lips, but it also has a cooling metal ball on the applicator. I actually like it a lot (would not pay $20 for it thought), and use it in the mornings before applying makeup. Keeping!

So next is an odd product- Hard Candy has a lip primer- dual-ended for both creme and gloss products. I am currently testing this out, but so far I have noticed that it creates a sticky base for products and does prolong the durability of them. I have not tested a variety of products, only lipstick. For now, I am keeping.

Okay, so last I've got two of the same shade from MUA Makeup Academy. I've reviewed the Color Drenched Lip Butter in the past, and I still love it and use it. It is in the shade Honey, and I bought a back-up.

The second product from MUA I will be decluttering. It is Extreme Shimmer Lipstick in Soft Rose. I think MUA does a poor job of picking color samples- as they do not accurately depict the color of the actual product. Soft Rose is way too pink for me, and it is not flattering.

Last is a product I have almost completed- Nyx Butter Lipstick in Pops. I am keeping!

Below I have my decluttered items, as well as swatches of some of them:

The top two shimmers are a comparison between Bronze and and 70 (Covergirl). I had hoped they would be dupes but they are not.

The three pink shades from top to bottom are- Soft Rose, the Smashbox Shade (for reference) and Plum It Up.

Final thoughts:

My love of brown lipstick is not going anywhere. I love cool-tones and shimmer. Ipsy is not trustworthy with lip products.