Review: Bare Minerals The Aphrodisiac Blush

I posted a picture of the things I picked up recently from Bare Minerals on Valentine’s Day, one of which was this blush. Bare Minerals holds a special place in my heart because the foundation is the first one I ever really used, and I’ve never gotten over how natural and smooth my face looks when I use it. i’m also completely obsessed with their line of Buxom lip glosses which make your lips tingle. Anyways, on to the details about The Aphrodisiac.

The Aphrodisiac is one of the pressed compact blushes (0.21 oz, $22) and is described as a peachy coral on the website. I would say that is definitely accurate. The finish of the blush is satin, which is my favorite kind of finish for a blush. I wore this on my cheeks for about 9 hours and it looked just as nice as when I had first applied it. So far, my skin hasn’t had any reaction to it either. The blush is very finely milled, super smooth, and very easy to blend. It’s not as crazy pigmented as some of the NARS blushes, but a swipe with your brush will be plenty to cover your cheek. All in all, I’m really pleased with this blush, and I actually prefer it to my other peachy coral blushes (namely Nars Orgasm, which I’ve compared with this in a swatch below) because of the finish and the lack of shimmer. If you want just the beautiful color without it being too flat and matte, this is a perfect peachy coral blush to pick up. 

Photos of Products and Swatches!

Bare Minerals Valentines Day purchase! Since I’m single I figured I’d just spoil myself and treat myself to some new things. I purchased the blush and the four eyeshadows, and received the lipgloss/liquid lipstick for free :) Reviews and swatches coming soon!

Rave Review: Sephora Double Contouring Cream Blush

I really haven’t seen much in the way of reviews, or even mentions, of this lovely lovely cream blush. I picked this up at the beginning of fall and it has been my go to for everyday wear. I’ve practically blown through about half the product and am dying to get my hands on some of the other colors. As a result I’m trying to use up my other cream blushes so that I can justify getting another one from this line!

Anyways, I picked it up from Sephora (0.2 oz, $16) and fell in love once I swatched it. The texture is really smooth and creamy and definitely packs some good pigment. Not to worry though, even if you put it on a little strong at first if you just keep blending with your fingers or a brush the product will lighten. This blush blends effortlessly into the skin and sets in place with a slightly cream-to-powder finish. I highly recommend this for the winter months, and if you have dry skin it would be great for the summer as well. The shade I have has glitter in it, which in the swatch appears to be strong is definitely more subtle on the cheeks (if you have Nars Orgasm its a similar type of glitter/sheen). There are 3 shimmer and 3 matte shades to choose from, so a decent variety in colors and finishes. The only other brands whose cream blushes I have tried are Urban Decay and Mac, and while I like both, this is better and cheaper. If you like cream blushes, you absolutely need to try this!

Photos of Products and Swatches!

Lovely birthday present from a friend! So excited to try this out, it’s the perfect little piece of luxury from my favorite store in the world. :)

Review: Loreal Shine Caresse Wet Shine Stain

Everyone seems to be talking about these, particularly because there are a lot of claims that this is a dupe to the YSL Glossy Stains. I’ve never tried any of the glossy stains and for me to purchase something from YSL it has to be a product I’ve been coveting for a while and can’t get out of my mind. The glossy stains just didn’t seem to have that kind of appeal for me, but when I saw the Loreal version in the drugstore a month ago I figured why not.

I picked up number 188 Coral Tattoo. They come in small little containers with a doe-foot applicator that has a hole in the center (0.2 oz, $10). Apparently this is so the applicator can pick up more product, which in this case seems sort of necessary. On first swipe across the lips it feels super wet and has a really pale, sheer color. This color slightly resembles the color of the product that you can see in the see-through panel that comes on the packaging. However, its a pretty sheered out version. So, I figured I’d apply some more layers to see if the color was buildable. Good news, its definitely buildable. Bad news, it looks nothing like the color of the product itself. Instead of a pretty pinky-coral, I got an intensely bright glossy orange. Now, I have nothing against orange, but in my mind I was definitely expecting a pretty coral and was thoroughly disappointed that what I purchased was nothing like that. The finish is extremely glossy and is fairly transfer resistant. Once it “sets” it feels just slightly tacky on the lips but isn’t uncomfortable. I don’t find that this product stains my lips, but the color lasts for a few hours typical of most glosses.

Overall, this was okay. I’m probably not going to be picking up any other colors just because it’s a wildcard as to what the color will turn out to actually be and there’s no way to swatch these in the drugstore. Also, the name implies a staining property which I just don’t think it had. I can purchase drugstore glosses with the same opacity and shine without worrying about whether they will be true to bottle color. Based on this, I’m probably not going to be trying out the YSL version either unless a swatch somewhere really blows my mind.

Photos of Products and Swatches!

Favorite Red Lip Products for Valentine's!

This February (I know it’s only been 3 days in) I’ve been wearing red lips nonstop. I always gravitate towards red or pink lips during this month. Not that I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day because I rarely ever do anything for it, but the “holiday” gives me an excuse to do it.

Anyways, here are the products that I’m loving for red lips!

1. MAC Ruby Woo - matte lipstick, true blue-red with a very retro feel (0.11oz, $14.50). This is seriously the boldest and brightest red I have found. For people who don’t like having their lips feel dry this lipstick might be problematic, but I find that soaking my lips with some good lip balm an hour before I apply really helps. I also make sure that my lips are smooth and exfoliated because matte lipsticks will tend to emphasize any residually clinging skin. The blue undertone really brings out the whiteness in your teeth which is a big plus! I find that this lipstick will transfer, but it still lasts me through eating and drinking without much fuss.

I personally like to pair this with MAC Cherry lip liner (0.05oz, $14.50) underneath for an extra boost to the lasting power, and when I’m in a glossy mood I sometimes will pop some of MAC Russian Red lipglass (0.17oz, $14.50) in the center. In general, I’m a bit wary of red lipglosses because somehow I manage to get them on my face or teeth.

2. Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick in Adora - bright metallic true red, and my go to for Christmas time because the finish reminds me of a shiny ornament (0.11oz, $19). I basically only wear this around the holidays because it is a lot of color and the texture is eye-catching as well. Again, this lipstick is on the drying side as well even though it doesn’t have a matte finish so lip balm beforehand is your friend. During meals the base color lasts even though the lipstick will transfer, but the metallic finish can fade away, so I usually touch up just a little bit afterwards. I like wearing this with winged liner and mascara so that all the emphasis is on the lips.

3. MAC Diva - dark red, matte finish (0.11oz, $14.50). I LOVE this color. In fact, I wear it much more frequently than either of my bright reds. I’m not sure if it’s just because I’m more comfortable with a deeper shade or if it’s just because I’m automatically attracted to any rich red shades I see. This lipstick is opaque and I skip any form of lip pencil when I use it. Again, it does transfer and fades slightly after eating and drinking. It’s not as drying as MAC Ruby Woo even though it has the same finish.

4. Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet - again, lovely dark red but with a glossy finish (0.13oz, $7 but you can get BOGO deals if you are on the lookout). If you’re looking for comfortable wear on the lips, this is the one to go for. It feels moist and hydrating on the lips but still packs a lot of color. The major downside with this is that it will wear away on its own after about 3 hours (even if you haven’t eaten or drank anything) so you have to carry it around and check on it. Plus you use it up a lot faster than the other lipsticks I mentioned.

5. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Adore - dark red with a glossy finish (0.095oz, $8 but again you can get BOGO). As the name states, it truly is a “balm stain”. It will definitely stain your lips, but on the plus side its pretty transfer resistant. This would be good if you are going on a date on Valentine’s day and want to be able to kiss your date :p Instead of a traditional lipstick type bullet, it’s a chubby lip pencil which makes it really easy to apply and especially good for beginners. You don’t have to sharpen it since it will twist up on its own. I often will layer this underneath the Revlon Red Velvet in order to make it last longer, so that even when the lip butter fades I still have a good amount of color stained onto my lips.

Photos of Products and Swatches!

Birthday present from my mom! I’ve been meaning to try nail stamping for ages now but had never gotten around to ordering the materials. Are the Konad nail polishes necessary to make these work? Or can I just use the polishes I already have?