Saturday, August 31, 2013

Review: Khroma Beauty Honey Stick Lip Gloss

Haha...so Khroma beauty seems to be a bit of a controversial topic due to the celebrity nature of the Kardashian sisters. I don't really have much of an opinion on them, but I have seen photos where the makeup they wear is pretty phenomenal. I was browsing around CVS and discovered a little side display for Khroma Beauty. All of the items were sold out except for the lashes and lip products, so I decided to give the lip glosses a try because the packaging caught my eye.

I picked up the glosses for $7.99 a piece. The glosses are definitely longer than normal, and more like the size of the Buxom plumping glosses (this makes them slightly annoying to store). The packaging is pretty cute, with rose gold metal details and a honeycomb design on the bottom of the package. Each gloss contains 0.12 oz.

Top to Bottom: Blackberry Honey, Wild Honey, Orange Blossom Honey, Wildflower Honey
The smell of these lip glosses is INCREDIBLE. They smell exactly like real honey. If you don't like your products to be scented this might be an issue for you, but if you love honey you will love these! The applicator wand is quite long and includes a doe-foot. Initially it can be a bit tricky to apply due to the long wand, but it's just something to get used to. I do find I have to dip my applicator in twice to get my lips fully covered.

Blackberry Honey applicator wand
The lipgloss itself is very comfortable to wear on the lips and I don't feel the need to reach for my lip balm by mid day. Two of the colors I picked up are creams and the other two have some slight shimmer in them. Overall, the colors are quite saturated and opaque. I find that I can hide my natural lip color easily wearing just these glosses alone. Wear time is probably about 2-3 hours.

Left to Right: Blackberry Honey, Wild Honey, Orange Blossom Honey, Wild Flower Honey
All in all, I really like these glosses. I'm curious to try some of the joysticks from the line since I had such good luck with the gloss. The reviews on the eyeshadows and mascaras written by fellow bloggers are negative enough to keep me from indulging in those for the moment.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

First Impressions: Guerlain


Guerlain

About the Brand: Nordstrom has a really interesting description you can read here which is better than anything I could write up :)

Where to Buy It: Sephora, Dillards, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus

Price Point: Luxury, comparable price points to Tom Ford and Cle de Peau Beaute.

Why did I try the brand: I went into Saks one day to check out some of the Armani Eyes To Kill eyeshadows and wandered by the Guerlain counter. I sort of impulsively decided that I wanted to try something because I was curious to see if the products were really worth the price point but had no idea what to try. The sales associate recommended I pick out a bronzer since the brand is known for them, so I followed her advice.

Packaging: This seriously might be some of the most beautiful packaging I have ever seen. Guerlain features a chocolate brown and gold color for many of their products and the compact I picked out has a lovely design on top. The top half of the compact has a mirror while the bottom half holds the product. There aren't any brushes or poofs, though I think the eye palettes may have slots for some. The closures on the compacts are magnetic, which is just awesome. There is a good amount of weight to the items, so that may be a downside if you want to travel light.

Pros/Cons of First Purchase: Gah, first thing has to be the price. I'm pretty sure this is the most I've paid for a single makeup item thus far, and the realist in me is still flabbergasted that I purchased this. That being said, the product is pretty phenomenal. The powders are very soft and creamy, blending out like a dream. The powders are heavily pigmented so you just need a light hand. There's a good amount of product as well so I know this will last me a long time.

Unique Items/Qualities of the brand: There's a HUGE range of bronzers. In addition to the eight four seasons bronzers, there's also a whole line of terra cotta bronzers. If you are really pale or dark, Guerlain will definitely have an option for you when others dont.

Overall First Impression Grade: I'm going to rate Guerlain at an A-. Obviously the price point is sky high which I don't love, but the quality of the products is amazing and each piece feels like you are holding a little piece of treasure. I think that the line has some limitations, particularly with regards to its foundation and concealer selections, but there's a great range of eye, lip and cheek products.

**all pictures from Nordstrom.com

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

First Impressions: NP Set

So I decided that to start my blog back up I'd start a new series. As of late I've had the opportunity and inclination to venture out and try some brands which have been around but I have never explored. Hopefully this will be interesting and informative :) Anyways, let's get started!

NP Set
About the Brand: Created by makeup artist Napoleon Perdis and launched as a prestige makeup line at Target with slightly lower price points than the original Napoleon Perdis line that's available at retailers like ULTA.
Where to Buy It: Target
Why did I try the Brand: Honestly, the permanent lines at the drugstore can get a bit boring. I'd always hesitated when seeing NP Set because the prices are high at the drugstore and I didn't want to be disappointed by the quality. I also don't see items from the line mentioned as frequently in reviews. But, curiosity and boredom got the best of me so I went for it.
Price Point: Lower Mid-range (aka expensive at the drugstore but not quite Sephora/department store prices). Similar price points to Pixi, Sonia Kashuk and Boots.
Packaging: Ugh...to start with, all of the packaging is white. WHITE. Don't get me wrong, I love me some beautiful white furniture and clothing, but it's basically a complete disaster for makeup products (I'm looking at you Urban Decay setting spray). You're bound to get a thousand smudges all over it within the first few days of use. Being someone who loves keeping their makeup and packaging looking pristine, this is really problematic for me. Otherwise, it’s your general plastic packaging from the drugstore. One major plus point is that it seemed like very few of the items came with spaces for brushes or sponge tips. I don't mind using sponge tips now and then on the go, but inevitably they fall out of the package and that becomes wasted space.
First Purchase: Day to Night Palette, $24
Pros/Cons of First Purchase: Right off the bat, I love that it’s a large palette with many options. Also, who doesn't love the versatility of having one item to take you from day to night? Again, the packaging is a debbie downer. The eyeshadows and blushes swatch and apply well, but are definitely on the powdery side. Lasting ability without a primer isn't great, but I never put on makeup sans primer.
Unique Items/Qualities of the Brand: There are lots of palette options that aren't just quads or trios and limited to eyeshadows. The drugstore seems to be over-run by duos, trios and quads that are all for eyes. NP Set has a variety of palettes which include eyeshadows, blushes and lip products. There's also a large range of primers in the line, which is definitely unique for the drugstore.
Overall First Impression Grade: Gotta go with a solid B-. You can't beat the versatility at the price point and the products I tried did perform well. If you refuse to wear primers for eye and face makeup, you might have some issues. They definitely offer some options that you can't find in typical drugstore brands.

**all pictures obtained via Target.com, they do not belong to me