Mint & Melon

Mint Dress – H&M //Belt – Thrifted // Lips – Revlon Colorburst True Red under Revlon Lip Butter Candy Apple // Nails – Sephora by O.P.I  in I’m Wired// Perfume – Paper Flower by Love & Toast

Mini personal story time. I was supposed to go out of town this weekend to see friends that I haven’t seen since Christmas, but unfortunately, some scheduling issues arose and I couldn’t go. I won’t lie. I was super bummed about it, but since I had planned an amazingly cute outfit to wear to their barbeque event, I figured, why not still use the outfit for a little blog post. Now that I’m all dolled up, I’m going to get a frappucino, do a bunch of sewing (that’ll hopefully be post-worthy!) and watch Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood on Netflix for the rest of the day. Nothing cheers me up like mixed coffee drinks and anime marathons.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in San Paulo

I was looking high and low for Paul Mitchell’s Awapuhi Wild Ginger Shampoo and Conditioner, and one of my unsuccessful stops was Ulta, but I had a coupon, so I picked up this Soft Matte Lip Cream.

Guys… Guys I love it. Sorry for the PDA in the first photo but I can’t help it. I feel so amazing in it. It’s a great color, kind of a muted red with a little splash of pink in there. I did have to reapply a few times during the day (Mac Prep + Prime, we are going to do a post on your fickleness later), but I didn’t care. It didn’t bleed and the pigment payoff was awesome. Totally opaque with a very chic matte finish.

Since it’s matte it did dry my lips out a tiny bit, but considering how dry my lips usually are, this is a big improvement on other matte lip colors I’ve worn.

When I got home from work today it was really cloudy out so I didn’t have ideal light, but the color is surprisingly accurate. The third picture is closer, but I figured I should show a smile every now and then (cause I love my beauty juice and blogging about it).

Now I’m going to watch the most recent Mad Men and peruse the internet using my kitty cat as an elbow rest. She loves it.

Gloss & Buns

I hope everyone appreciates how hard it was for me to not name this post Hot Glossed Buns. As you can see, I am wearing a lip gloss and a hair bun. I have a few lip glosses that I’ve received in kits or as impulse buys, so I’m trying to use them up. I like the way glosses look, but I don’t like how quickly they tend to lose their shine. Maybe that’ll change when I pick up MAC’s Lip Prep + Prime later this week. I’m really excited about it.

Outfit was a bit too wrinkled to get a proper shot, but I thought my make-up was pretty good today. The products I used were:

Skin – Smashbox BB Cream in Fair //Blush – Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin // Eyeshadow – Revlon Colorstay in Blushed Wines // Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener // Mascara – Fairy Drops Scandal Queen // Eyeliner – Stila Convertible Eye Color in Indigo // Lipstick – Revlon Colorburst in Rosy Nude // Gloss – Stila Plumping Lip Glaze in Melon Mint

What’s in My Bag : Quick Trip!

Yes, it all fits in my little Burt’s Bees bag.

Just a quick little photo post! I’m visiting my family in Houston, and it is humid! I always try to travel light, and as sweaty as it’s been, make-up seems like it’ll just melt off my face.

Some of this stuff is always in my make-up bag (Smashbox Photo Op Under Eye Brightener, Revlon Colorstay Eyeshadow Quad in Blushed Wines, some MAC eyeshadow brushes, and my Too Faced Katbuki Brush), but when I travel, there are some products that help me keep my load small and compact:

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Fair // This is my first bb cream and I’m in love. It’s like a tinted moisturizer with a higher coverage payoff. I don’t have to use primer (although with my dry skin I still have to moisturize beforehand), so I just bring this little bottle instead of my primer and my foundation. Plus it has SPF 35, so even if it smells a little like sunscreen, I don’t care because I love knowing it has the added protection in it.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment mini & Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Lollipop //The Fresh lip balm always makes my lips feel awesome, so I always have it with me, but especially on vacation because even without color it improves the appearance of my raggedy ole kisser. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I’m addicted to Revlon Lip Butters, and Lollipop is a great summer color. It’s a bright pink fuscia, but since it’s a lip balm hybrid, I don’t have to pay for the color with dry lips.

Pink Grapefruit Body Butter Mini from The Body Shop // I have Becca from Ribbons in Curls to thank for this. The other night I was complaining about dry hands and she produced a magic, tiny body butter from her purse. I immediately when out and bought two. I got a strawberry (the one she had) and the grapefruit because the Body Shop had a BOGO special. It’s so cute and tiny and moisturizing! Normally scented things don’t cut it with my skin, but this stuff has blown me away. Plus my mom and sister really like it.

Soap and Paper Factory Midnight Solid Perfume //Jasmine is a really nostalgic scent for me. My grandma’s backyard has tons of jasmine in it, and since she has a pool we spent a lot of time back there when I was a kid. This solid perfume is portable, won’t spill in my bag, and it smells exactly like my Gammy’s backyard. It’s straight up jasmine.

And that’s that! I’m off to hang with my fim fam. See you later!

P.S. Ribbon shapes for Photoshop are from Pugly Pixel (who else?).

P.P.S. I didn’t cover everything in my bag, so if you have any questions about a product I didn’t list, ask away in the comments!

Violet Ombre Nails

Ombre nails! I think purples are the only colors I have enough of to do this, and I really like it. Even Mark, who sometimes gets overwhelmed by my ever-changing nails, seems to be a fan. He even helped me take photos today!

Mark and I are both off work today so I got dolled up a bit more than usual for not going into the office. I tried some e.l.f. 2 in 1 Conditioning Lip Gloss in Plumtastic over my Revlon Colorburst in Rosy Nude, and normally I don’t like shiny lips, but I could see this look for work. I’m also wearing the Sally Hansen Sheerest Cream Blush in Ginger that Becca gave me a few weeks ago when we were trading make-up. At first I was scared because it was so dark before I blended it, but now I’m wearing it every other day.

I’ve been toying with the idea of doing a more work-friendly version of ombre hair for work since I have to keep it pretty vanilla. I want to dye the ends a lighter auburn kind of like this (source). Yay or nay? If it’s a nay, be gentle. I’m sensitive about my hypothetical hair.

Revlon Reds

Revlon obviously has more reds than these three, but these are the three I own (through great sales at Big Lots and Ulta!), and I really love Revlon lipsticks overall so I figured I’d swatch these suckers. I also own a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Candy Apple which I’m currently blowing through super fast. I’m wearing it in this post.

Revlon’s Violet Frenzy

OKAY, disclaimer I just realized this is obviously not a red. It’s a violet. My bad. I’m hopped up on cake and Gatorade right now. I got this shade around the same time as the other two.

In the tube it looks very purple, but I was curious. It goes on sheer but buildable, and it has a lot more pink in it than the lipstick tube itself would have you believe. I’m happy with that little surprise because otherwise it might not have been as easy to wear out and about without worrying that I had a Kefka mouth (that last bit was from Mark, not me! He’s the funny one.).

Revlon True Red

I have to disagree with the name, because it looks more like a coral red to me. Orange-reds don’t suit my skin tone, but this one is on the line. I am still deciding if I can pull it off without looking silly. The Candy Apple Lip Butter is identical in color in the tube but is more sheer, so I’ve been wearing that more when I want a coral red instead.

Revlon Crimson

I’m saving this one for a night out because it’s a little dark even for me. I’m a big fan of dark lipsticks but I still have to work my way up to them. A lip primer or liner would be better because it does bleed/feather a bit, and if you go out of the lines, it’s really hard to clean up edges without looking like a two year old trying on mom’s makeup. Luckily I can still swipe this one on, blot my lips and put on a clear balm for a nice stain.

Check back tomorrow for April’s Birchbox review!

Cheapies! Revlon Swatches

Revlon Colorburst in Peach & Icy Nude

Earlier this week Becca and I went to Big Lots I and discovered the beauty of heavily discounted cosmetics. These lipsticks were $2 each, and I’m kicking myself because as you’ll see, I picked up some very safe shades. They had a deeper, cherry red that I think would’ve matched my skin tone pretty good, but no use sulking now.

Revlon Colorburst Icy Nude

This one is so close to my natural lip color that there’s almost no point. It has a little bit of shimmer to it that I don’t like. It makes my lips look grainy. I’ll try it again when my lips recover from their wintery chapped-ness.

Revlon Colorburst Peach

Peach turned out much better. It gives a natural flush of color but still had a little shimmer that I wasn’t crazy about. This one at least made it into my make-up bag to take to work. Neither shade lasts very long either. Overall, I think I got what I paid for, but I still am excited about future trips to Big Lots so I can test new colors for cheap.

March Teen Vogue Birchbox

I opted for the TeenVogue themed box this month because I just wanted to feel special. A themed box! This was my haul for March.

1. twistband hair tie // I’ve already got one of these in dark green, and now I apparently have one in bright green. I’m not really that into green. I’ll go for a nice hearty avocado green, but that’s about it. On the bright side, I had something to stick in my hair on St. Patrick’s Day to avoid pinches. I finally took matters into my own hands and ordered a pack of these in black because they don’t crimp my hair if it’s in a ponytail all day, and the little tie detail makes them just a tad classier than your garden variety hair tie.

2. Annick Goutal Petite Chérie // Don’t get me wrong. This smells nice, but it’s a weird mix. You’d think that grass and roses would go together, but I wasn’t overly impressed. It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten a fragrance sample from BB that made me swoon. Give me another sample vial of Twirl and we’ll talk Birchbox.

3. essie luxeffects in Set in Stones // I love this polish but I was bummed out because Becca bought this exact one for me on Valentine’s Day last month. The glitter is intense, and after 2 coats my nails look dazzling and fancy.  I would’ve loved to get one of the gold ones instead, but now I have two I guess. At least it’s a color I like, and I bet it will look amazing on top of a lot of colors.

4. tarte Lipsurgence lip tint in Amused // This stuff is awesome! I’ve had my eye on all of the chubby stick makeups coming out lately, and this one is a winner. I thought it was a lip gloss, but it’s actually a stain. Usually stains settle in the creases of my lips and fade really unevenly, but this one is different. It feels hydrating and goes on glossy, so there’s no tight, dry sensation. The color is lovely too. It’s a sheer fuchsia and when the gloss fades, there’s still a nice even wash of pink. Plus it’s a full size and that always makes my day.

5. Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Papers // I’m not a fan because I have super dry skin, so shininess isn’t really a concern for me. They’re different from most blotting sheets I’ve seen because they’re very thick. I’ll keep them in my make-up bag to blot lipstick, but this isn’t something I would buy.

Here’s what the lip tint and nail polish look like. The shiny silver accent nail is Set in Stones. Sorry for the gloomy face. I’m a little under the weather today so it was all I could do to put on some tinted moisturizer and under-eye concealer for pictures. Also, holla Boots No7 Soft and Sheer in Fair! It’s the first one to match my skin and not make me break out!

Back to the box – I can’t complain about two full-sized products in one box, but I can’t lie that I’ve been keeping my eye on the new Sample Society from BeautyBar.com and Allure. I’m on the wait list to receive an invite. I didn’t realize how new it was, so my search for reviews has turned up nil. Has anyone gotten a Sample Society subscription?

P.S. Another thank you to Pugly Pixel for the tutorial I used to make the bunny brush in my inventory picture!

MAC Runaway Red

Even though I have a deep abiding love of lipstick, I’ve never bought a MAC lipstick. After being wonder struck by the lip color in this outfit post from Keiko Lynn, I decided it was finally time.

I can’t wait till Daylight Savings Time is here so I can get good light when I’m home from work because the color is beautiful but I couldn’t capture it perfectly. Just believe me when I say it is awesome and fits my pinky-red skin tone without looking too bright or too dark. It’s Shop MAC Runaway Red, and yes I had to fall for a limited edition lipstick. The lady behind the counter promised that I would find another red when this one is gone.

The texture is satin but it doesn’t come off too glossy. It has excellent staying power and this may sound weird, but it has a nice smell for the lipstick. Is that weird? Even if it is, it’s true. It smells good. This is probably the first in a long line of MAC lipsticks that I will run into the ground.

Quick Gilded Lip

I saw this look in a magazine and I love me some gold, so I figured I would get out of bed long enough to try it out. It’s cute and not so outrageous that I’d feel silly wearing it for a party or an evening out. I didn’t have a red on hand, so I used Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Fuchsia and then patted some CoverGirl Eye Enhancer in Gold Sizzle on the center of my bottom and top lip.

Just a little baby post. I’m working on a big one going over the skin routine I’ve worked up to keep my dry, ruddy skin passably soft and even-toned. It’s gonna be a doozy.