Rant: Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Lemonade

Sometimes, I don't think things through. I get overly excited and all logic goes out the window. This is especially true when it comes to beauty products. I see it and oops! Suddenly, I have 12 of something that I don't even like.

This happened with the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains - I bought 5 and only kept 1 (I gave the rest to my bf K).

This summer, it happened when the new Revlon Lip Butters came out. I got really excited and bought Pink Lemonade, thinking it would be a gorgeous semi-sheer pink that would look great and hydrate my lips. Oh boy.

So I have quite pigmented lips, but I look like a zombie when I put this on. The color choice is my own fault: I should have tried it on at the drugstore, worn it a bit, and seen that the color didn't suit me. That much I'll admit.

But the finish? Chalky. And matte. What? And hydration? Non existent. Before I realized I looked horrible wearing this (no one at work said anything EVER and I wore this all the time at first), I used up half the tube. It was quite easy: I felt my lips were abnormally dry whenever I wore this, so I would reapply, thinking it wasn't this product that was drying them out. I don't often get cracked lips, but I got a bad case of them when using this, to the point that not even my favorite lip balms could salvage them enough by the next day to make them look normal.

Although I didn't try layering this with anything else, I'm kind of afraid too, because of how it dried out my lips so badly. And I don't like the finish, so wasting gloss or another lipstick to make this look good is kind of...not worth it, for me.

Have you had better luck with this product?

S
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Wish List: Skincare

I am constantly checking reviews to see what's on my "to-buy" list for when I run out of something. Here's what I'm currently lusting after and saving my money to buy!

Origins Night-A-Mins: During the winter, I get the strangest dry patches, and can't seem to find a moisturizer that doesn't feel too thick, moisturizes enough, and has a nice scent. Hopefully this will fix things!

Korres Greek Yogurt Advanced Nourishing Sleeping Facial: I'm currently using a sleeping mask I got in Seoul, and though I love it, it's quite hard to come by. Also, it might not be enough for winter, as it's a gel. I received a sample of this and quite liked it, so once mine is done, a tub of this will be replacing it!

Origins Make a Difference + Rejuvenating Treatment: Though my skin is oily, it is constantly craving moisture. When I use hydrating treatments, I notice my skin looks much better and my break outs are less frequent (my black heads as well). Hopefully this will hydrate and feel amazing.

Aesop Parsley Seed Mask: I use masks in the shower and bath while I shave and let my conditioner soak in. I haven't heard one bad thing about this product, so I'm definitely curious. In fact, some things seem too good to be true.

Alpha H Liquid Gold: No only is this one of the most raved about products by UK bloggers, it's considerably affordable for what it does. And with updated packaging, it's definitely worth looking into.

What's on your skincare wishlist?

S
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Rant: Sigma F20 Large Powder Brush

Confession: I use the word 'hate' as little as possible. I feel like it's too strong a word to use most of the time to express how I feel about something. Usually, it's annoying, or exasperating, or disappointing. Keep that in mind when I review products: for me to say that I really hate something, it takes a lot!

Enter the F20 Large Powder Brush from Sigma. One year ago, I made a huge order with my then roommate J and couldn't decide between the F20 and F30 brush. We looked for reviews online and most people had bought the F30. She convinced me that the shape of this brush would be ideal for powder application, especially for setting powder, which is a must for me. So I ordered it.

Today, I can say that this brush is super annoying and disappointing. It sheds while I use it and when I wash it, and it bleeds its ink every time I wash it and all of this to this day (meaning, one year later). It isn't very soft and I feel like it scratches my face, even after countless washings. It also doesn't distribute powder very well (in my opinion), nor does it blend evenly either. I don't really know what to do with this brush! So I kept it in my drawer and now it's time to say goodbye. I usually try to pass on the makeup stuff I don't enjoy to someone else, but this is just going bye bye.

To put this into context, I do very much enjoy my other Sigma brushes, but this one...a real MISS.

Have you had better luck with this makeup brush? Are there makeup brushes that you've had bad luck with?

S
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What's in my Travel Makeup Bag? #1

I don't often travel with makeup, as I usually apply it before I leave to go anywhere. However, when you have the honor of working the early bird shift at the pool, getting a few extra minutes of sleep always trumps whatever it's up against.

I try to bring travel size things as much as possible, so it fits into my makeup bag (without filling it to the brim), as well as my favorite products. I also like to bring things that I can use up, so that I have less clutter in my stash of stuff.

I'm on a real roll with Rimmel products of late, especially with eye products. I decided to only bring their Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer this time around, and wear NARS Charade duo over that, which is lovely and was bought because MissGlamorazzi praised it so highly. Curl with the shu uemura eyelash curler and top off with two offerings from L'Oreal: Voluminous Carbon Black and Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof. I'm curious to top these together and see what happens!

For my eyebrows I'm sticking with my usual MAC Charcoal Brown, which I've been favoring more over Omega of late, as I am liking the intense brow look. Finish with Maybelline's Great Lash Clear Mascara and the brows are set.

Having blemish prone skin means my skins is always pink tinged and has noticeable pores. I was lucky enough to get quite a hefty sample of Too Faced Primed & Poreless Skin Smoothing Face Primer, so we'll see how that works out! The foundation and concealer of choice will be from the Wake Me Up line from Rimmel. The foundation in Classic Beige is a perfect match for me right now, as I am losing my tan slightly. The concealer in Light has a hint of salmon, so it's perfect under my eyes and covers the evidence of my lack of sleep quite well.

As for setting powder, I'll be busting out the Rimmel Stay Matte in Translucent: I have never used it before, but have heard great things, so it'll mentioned in a Test Drive post soon enough. Two more sample sized offerings are the NARS Laguna bronzer and Benefit's Watt's Up highlighter - I've used both and quite like them paired together. And who could forget Hourglass's Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light - I swear this stuff is photoshop in a pan. I love wearing it and I really can tell a difference when I forgot to put it on - I just don't look as awesome.

Finally, my current lip combo: Covergirl's Lip Perfection in Mauve Twist and NARS Lip gloss in Chihuahua. Though I'm not a big fan of lip gloss in general, I do really like the color I get from this.

What do you have in your travel makeup bag?

S

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What's in my Shower? #1

Being a lifeguard (and soon to be avid gym/hot yoga go-er hopefully), I go through a lot of shower/bath products. I always have two sets of everything going, but usually the good stuff stays at home, and the stuff I'm testing out is used elsewhere.

Hair Care

After listening to essiebutton rave about it, I decided to purchase the L'Oreal EverCreme Intense Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner. Though it's formulated for dry to very dry hair (and I have oily roots and dry ends), it works really well. My hair doesn't feel greasy after washing, and since I only use conditioner on my ends, this helps. Also, this stuff smells amazing!

 Body Care

I used to always see Soap & Glory stuff in pharmacies, but never really tried anything from them until about 6 months ago. Since, I've gone a bit bananas with the stuff.

I'm currently using the Clean, Girls body wash. It had a very grown up scent (unlike my usual ubber sweet vanilla scent), that makes me feel very sophisticated. It's also very moisturizing (which is a quality I look for in a body wash).

I try to exfoliate at least once a week, and my current go-to is Scrub, Actually from Soap & Glory. The fruity scent is great and a nice change. It scrubs really well, and I always get the impression that on initial application, it heats up slightly (which feels quite nice, actually).

Skincare

It's when I take a shower that the big skincare guns come out.

I use St. Ives Green Tea Facial Scrub immediately upon entering the shower. The granules are very fine and so the exfoliation is very gentle. Since I do use this every shower, I don't feel it strips my face at all. I know that in the winter, I'll want something a little rougher, but this works really well for now.

Apart from that, masks are my favorite thing to do in the shower. I scrub my face, slap on a mask, and go about my business. The one I'm currently using is Formula 10.0.6's No Time to Shine Oil Absorbing Mud Mask. As it dries, I feel like it sucks all the gunk out of my face, without drying it.

Have you tried any of these products?
What's currently in your shower?

S
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Rave: Option+ Facial Wipes

If I could live in a store, it would be a tie between a dollar store and a drugstore (an office supply store and bookstore would be close behind however). So finding a quality product at the drugstore (which is sometimes a miracle in and of itself) that has a dollar store price tag really makes my day! These are definitely a holy grail item!

These wipes are fantastic. They remove makeup really well, stay very moist, and don't feel harsh against my skin. Though I try to avoid using these to take my makeup off (having skin that is prone to breaking out when makeup isn't taken off well enough isn't fun), they work wonderfully if I'm in need of a quick fix.

I also use these a lot for spot cleaning eye brushes, as well as cleaning makeup packaging (I'm looking at you NARS), and cream makeup products, that often get dust, random pigments from other products and hair bristles in them (like my Chanel bronzer and MAC highlight).

These can be found at Uniprix drug stores (I haven't found them available anywhere else) and usually retail for $1-$2. I always stock up when they're on special!

Do you use makeup wipes? Do you have a favorite kind?

S
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FOTD #2

I went out the other night with a few friends. We were going to a university "start of the session and school year" party (which basically means we were crashing it, as none of us are in university anymore), and then we headed off to a club to dance the rest of the night away. Since I had to work the next day, I didn't want to wear anything too hard to take off, as I knew I would be lazy once home, but I wanted it to last through the night.

I went for something subtle, but eye catching (in my opinion at least!).

Eyes: NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, L'Oreal La Couleur Infallible Eyeshadow in Tender Caramel, MAC Eyeshadow in Shroom, Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl in Nude and Taupe, L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Waterproof, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Face: Benefit POREfessional Face Primer, Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation (N145), Bobbi Brown Corrector, Revlon Photoready Concealer in Light, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in NW25, Benefit Watts Up!, Nars Bronzer in Languna, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Brows: MAC Omega and Charcoal Brown eyeshadows, Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

Lips: NARS Lipstick in Dolce Vita

What do you wear on a night out?

S

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Wish List: Makeup Picks

Having moved house back in March and organizing my makeup in the last few weeks made me realize that:

a) I own a LOT more makeup than I thought

b) I really need to use the makeup that I have

c) I really REALLY don't need to buy any makeup for a while, until I finish what I have

So I decided that until Christmas, I won't be buying anything that I don't need and that I need to finish something before I can buy something else (I know, I don't know how I'm going to manage). However, that doesn't stop me from doing a little list-making and showing you what's on the top of my list to get once I can spend my pesos again!

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Lies: Ugh, I ooze envy whenever I see someone who owns this and uses it. It's been back-ordered on Sephora.com for ages and I want to own it. I want to cover myself with it and prance around. I love a nice cream highlighter and this one is calling my name and asking me to take it home.

Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation: I own the HD Foundation and while I love it, I've been wanting to try this one. A favorite of a lot of oily skinned ladies, it seems like it could be a match made in heaven waiting to happen, once I'm allowed to possess it, that is.

Anastasia Brow Wiz: Though I'm currently using Omega and Charcoal Brown from MAC to do my eyebrows, this product intrigues me, especially because everyone and their grandma seems to own, use, and love this stuff.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer: Again, lots of hype about this product being a good all-rounder, for both under the eyes and on spots. Though my spots and under my eyes are ok, on days when minimal effort is required, this could be the perfect problem-solver.

Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Beguile: Pigments are somewhat new territory for me, but I still want this. It looks like it'll be an opal/pearl color and that's right up my alley. Either as an inner corner highlight, all over the lid, or under the lash line, I see this being a staple for me in the winter. Need. It. Now.

What's on your makeup wish-list?

S
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Daily Dilemma: Growing Long Hair

Being a girl is tough, or hadn't you noticed?

Such short hair - gah!

With ever changing fashion and makeup trends, it's enough to make a girl's head spin, and we haven't even gotten to how bad that could mess up your hair! Being a lifeguard, I go in the water constantly and this does serious damage to my hair (chlorine + sun = major split ends and breakage). Despite this, I challenged myself a year plus ago to grow my hair past my belly button and do whatever I could to keep it as healthy as possible.

May 2013 - graduating university (with gorgeous hair)

I recently had a staff meeting and most of my coworkers FREAKED OUT when they saw how long my hair was. They couldn't believe I had grown it so long, when it seemed so short not that long ago. One coworker in particular came to see me and begged for my help. She had recently cut her hair and despised how it looked, as it was much shorter than she had anticipated (she had gone for a long bob cut and though I found it suited her, she hated it). Being a lifeguard with long hair means lots of questions from lots of girls, so I decided to share some of my wisdom with you as to how I have managed to grow my hair out.

A note before I begin: some of this stuff may not work for you. Everyone is different and there are LOADS of things that I have read on the internet that did not work for me. I even tried a few things that friends recommended that I HATED and did more damage than good. So on that note, shall we begin?

Washing: I have oily roots and dry ends (talk about the deck being stacked against me), so before this year I was constantly washing my hair. Since I was in the pool all the time, I HAD to wash it, as it was filled with chlorine, but this meant I was washing it almost every day. This left my hair feeling stripped, dry, and super brittle. What I decided to change was to wash my hair as little as possible, meaning only when it was super dirty, and to rinse my hair really well after being in the pool, to get rid of the chlorine. Now, I wash my hair every 2-3 days and use dry shampoo in between when my roots start to look oily.

Conditioner: My dry ends eat up conditioner like a man drinking water in a desert. Though I used to slather conditioner onto my hair before, now I deep condition my hair once a week, and try to keep the conditioner in my hair for as long as possible. After shampooing, I'll put the conditioner on, shut off the water, and wash and shave so that the conditioner has some extra time to work. I'll then rinse everything together. This seriously worked miracles for me, as my hair looked and felt stronger and could therefore grow!

Hair oil: The BIGGEST thing that saved my hair was hair oil. The one I am currently using (and in LOVE with) is by Kerastase.

This particular formula is made for damaged hair and feels amazing on my hair. My ends absorb it all and it doesn't feel greasy in the least (which is often what people are hesitant about). I use about 2-3 pumps of this after I shower on my hair, as many have recommended to me to do and it's true that this really helps. However, what made the biggest difference in my opinion is this: I apply 1 pump of this every night on my hair and then braid it when I go to sleep. I've noticed less split ends, my hair is smoother, and since my hair is curly, this makes a big difference in the "appearance" department; it looks and feels healthy.

These may not be anything new, but these tricks seriously helped me, and I hope they can help you!

What have you done to grow lusciously long hair?

S
xxx

The Testdrive: Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Catfight

Having recently graduated means feeling the urge to grow up (or at least act grown up). Though I still love my sweats, leggings and naked face for my pool jobs, my professional wardrobe has needed some sprucing, and that went hand in hand with my makeup.

I have over the past year dabbled in the bold lip trend, and though I am far from a master (I don't even consider myself an apprentice >.<), I love a red lip. Not only does it make me feel grown up and fancy, I always find myself thinking of Marilyn Monroe and trying to emulate how glamorous she always looked.

Enter the new Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Catfight! I had originally seen these come out, gotten SUPER excited and wanted to buy all the nude shades. Upon swatching them at my local Sephora, I realized that none of them looked anywhere near superb on me with my tan. Fast forward a few weeks later and Sephora is giving these out as 100 point perks! So obviously I snatched it.

Do you like my Keropi bathrobe? ^.^

First impression: WOW! It went on creamy, and then reduced to the point of it feeling balm-like. I kept sticking my lips together because I liked the feeling so much. I have slightly peeling lips and this didn't accentuate that in the slightest. It's described as a fuschia with a red undertone, but I find it looks much more red with a hint of pink on me.

I wore this shopping and it wore very well, but after about 2 hours, it didn't feel like it was even there anymore (no balm texture), though my lips didn't feel dry. However, the color was still there! The glossy texture has slightly worn off and a strong stain remained. It didn't look horrible, and I wanted to see how long it would wear, so I let it be and didn't reapply.

Fast-forward a few hours: I go home, eat supper, drink some tea, and then head to the gym for some weight-training. Wanting to put this lipstick through the ultimate test, I didn't take it off, to see if it would survive through all of that and still look good. When I came home and finally washed my face (some 8 hours after I had originally applied), my lips looked horrible. What remained of the lipstick had settled into the fine lines of my lips (I never knew what that meant until now!), and my lips were bare otherwise. They also felt slightly tight and quite dry.

Now, I put this lipstick through extreme conditions so I didn't think it would survive and it didn't. Is it a bad lipstick? No. Am I glad that I didn't purchase a full sized one and got a sample size instead? Heck yeah. I've worn other bold lipsticks that have lasted much longer and looked a lot better than this one did after many hours, all the while remaining very hydrating and creamy (I'm looking at you YSL ). So yes, high expectations over here.

I will continue to wear this lipstick as the color is very flattering and I am not one to waste, though the task of reapplying it continuously to look good will be tedious. And though being a grown-up may mean understanding that some lipsticks need to be reapplied to look fantastic, I can still procrastinate and stick out my tongue too.

Have you testdrived the Urban Decay Revolution Lipsticks?

S
xxx

FOTD #1

I visited my cousin for Labour Day and decided that instead of going as my usual scruffy self, I'd put in a little effort and make myself presentable! Since my tan is wearing off already (ah, the joys of being an outdoor lifeguard during the summer...), I figured I only had a few more weeks of being able to pull off the smokey bronze eye look without it looking too much.

My toe snuck into the shot! n_n

Eyes: Rimmel London Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer, Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Shadow Stick in Bad Bronze, Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl in Nude, Maybelline Volum' Express The Rocket Waterproof Mascara  in Very Black, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Face: Benefit POREfessional Face Primer, Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation (N145), Bobbi Brown Corrector, Stila Perfecting Concealer, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder, Nars Bronzer in Languna, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Brows: MAC Omega and Charcoal Brown eyeshadows, Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara

Lips: Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Happy Days, Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss in Nectar

Tools: Mix of Real Techniques, Sigma, and Sedona Lace brushes. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. Fingers for blending eyes and concealer :)

Some of these products are staples, while others are real headed for the trash never to return. What's a staple in your make up kit?

S
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