Guess what, guys--it's another haul!

Who would've seen this coming? Only everybody. I'm apparently the haul queen. Hopefully this is it for a while, because I feel like all I've been doing is spending money. Well, it's about to run out, so that will help rein me in. I do have that much control--I stop when I don't have money. Some people (I guess true addicts) spend when they don't have the money. I'm going to break my haul into two categories: makeup and fragrances. This is the makeup post. So let's get started!

These are products that were bought at basically the same time (within a day of each other). The bronzer and blue Color Tattoo were together and the rest were bought the next day.

Bonne Bell Lip Lights in Strawberry Parfait

Since everything else in this haul is Maybelline, I decided I would start with the one non-Maybelline product. I got this because Melmphs says it's a dupe for Turkish Delight by NARS. I like the color alright, but I'm not too crazy about the scent. It's predominantly the sickly sweet scent that is in a lot of makeup that's on the cheap side or made for kids. I don't like it. I can barely stand it because there's also a hint of a good strawberry scent. I can't quite place where I've smelled that strawberry scent--most likely a strawberry cream pastry or something like that. If only that scent was stronger instead of the icky sweetness.

Maybelline Dream Sun Bronzing Powder Matte in Medium Matte

This was kind of another disappointment. It looked darker in the display. I thought, "Hey it's matte! That's great!" Yah it's matte, but it's also orangey. I got it for contouring because I thought it looked darker than a lot of other bronzers I've seen in stores. I haven't tried it for that purpose yet, so I still have to see, but my hopes aren't high. Oh well, I'll still use it.

Maybelline Eye Studio Color Explosion Luminizing Eyeshadow in Caffeine Rush

This is something I've been wanting to buy for a while now. Emily seemed to really like it in a review she did a year or two ago, and I've eyed it ever since. Finally, I saw it on clearance for 25% off, and I thought this might be my last chance to get it--sometimes clearance means gone for good, but then other times they're just trying to get rid of older products to put out the new. Bottom line: I finally got it.

Since there aren't names for each shade, and I hate it when people draw lines all over the picture, I decided I would just match up numbers for the swatch and where I swatched it from the palette. My favorite shades are 1 and 3. The second is more orange than I was expecting. Four is a little darker than 3, but it's also drier in formula. Five is just glitter. One and 3 are very creamy and I can't get enough of them! If I could buy singles of them, I would.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24 hr Eyeshadow in Blue Paradise and Lavish Lavender

I was originally only after Lavish Lavender, but the first place I found it only had one that was opened and someone had rubbed their finger in it. I didn't want that one, so I got the Blue Paradise. Then I happened to go to another drugstore and saw that the Maybelline Limited Edition display hadn't been TOUCHED. No one had bought anything, and these products have been out for a while! I now know where to go for limited edition stuff that I can't find elsewhere. Both shades are gorgeous. I really like lavender, and the blue one is deeper than you would think with a cool purple sheen that doesn't pick up in the picture. Both are highly metallic and feel wetter (thinner) than the other Color Tattoos I have.

Above are products I've bough over the past couple months but have forgotten to post about, or haven't bothered since it was only one or two at a time. I thought I'd put it all together now since things are still fairly new to me.

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Kohl Waterproof Liner in Nude

Everyone has been talking about this, and I was coming up on finals, so I thought it would be a good time to pick it up. When I don't have sleep, the rims of my eyes get really red, so this was good for helping me look more awake and less sickly.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Rose Quartz

I got this because I thought it looked pretty and I felt I needed to start expanding my lip liner collection. Thankfully, Rimmel is good about matching the color of the packaging to the actual color of the product. It is a really pretty pink, with an almost purple sheen if you get a chunk of it, and the texture is a little bit more moist and creamy than others I've tried. I recommend trying out this line of lip liners.

N.Y.C. Sparkle Eye Dust in Smokey Topaz

I really like this eye shadow! I can't use the wand to apply because that makes the pigment a little too concentrated in one place and if you try to blend it out it looks patchy. I use it by knocking some off on the back of my hand and then using a brush to dust it on my eyelids. It's a color that can look different depending on the light and angle. Sometimes it looks more lavender, sometimes almost raisin, and other times it can look a little more gray. I like colors that do that.

Sally Girl Blush in 388402

I heard about how great Sally Girl blushes were from the blog Nouveau Cheap (see the side for links). I picked this up because I thought it might be a color match for a blush I like to use but I don't think I'll be able to get another. I was disappointed when I swatched them side-by-side and they weren't much alike. First of all, the pigmentation isn't very good, and the color was just off. It's still alright for a subtle blush, I guess. It is annoying that there aren't names--only numbers.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in Heather Silk

Wet n Wild blushes are really pigmented. You have to be careful when applying! I already had one in Pearlescent Pink and liked it, so I thought I'd give this one a try. I really like it! It's a nice blue-based pink that shows up nicely on the cheeks. It gives a great, alive-looking flush. The texture is nice and silky as well. I liked it so much that I decided to pick up another one when I needed something for an event and didn't have time to go home. So now I have two, and they'll last me a loooong time.

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Pink Wink

As you can see from the swatch, there's not very much color to this one. It does seem to show up on the lips better, but still it's mostly good for giving your lips a little moisture and shine. As I mentioned in my favorite lip products post a little bit ago, the Baby Lips have a tendency to look a little odd at first, but as you wear them, the color adapts to you and looks better.

So I think that's all for now! I hope you have a great day, and I'll talk to you soon.

~Stacie

Bath and Body Works Lip Conditioners

Hey all! I guess that's becoming my standard greeting. I just wanted to do a quick post about the great lip products at Bath and Body Works. Maybe you already know about them, because I've seen the C.O. Bigelow stuff there for a while, but never actually got anything. I've always thought of BBW as a place for body spray, and I haven't looked to other products until recently.

1. Rose Salve

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve

This was my very first C.O. Bigelow purchase, and I got it back around Christmas time. I am SO glad that I got it when I did, because when I went back to college for my second semester, the weather got bad, I got sick, and my skin started to get really chapped. This salve has .9% rose extract in it, and it is a miracle worker. On the edge of the top its says, "Face, Hands, Feet, Lips, Cuticles," but you can put it anywhere that needs some healing moisture. It's a little cover-all.

As you can see, this tin has "Lips only" written on it, along with a kiss print. That's because I went a bought a second tin (the one in the picture) to use only for my lips. I'm a germ freak, so when I was sick back in January, I was constantly putting my hands in the tin without sanitizing them because 1) I was in a hurry, 2) I was tired of sanitizing my hands, and 3) when your hands are cracked and chapped, sanitizer hurts! I'm picky about what goes on my lips, so I decided I would just get another Rose Salve and dedicate it completely to lips--no germy hands allowed! It's only $5.50.

2. Lemon Lip Balm

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Lip Balm

I think that all the balms are made of similar products, and the flavoring is the only real difference (plus this one doesn't have rose extract). When the packaging says 100% natural lemon, they're just talking about the flavoring. They're trying to trick you into thinking that the whole thing is natural--like Burt's Bees, for example--but it's not. That's alright with me because I like the conditioning power, but I thought I would warn you of that little pitfall. The lip balm is very nice, though. I put it on before I go to bed, and when I wake up, my lips feel super soft and smooth. Sometimes I even feel a little bit of the lingering balm.

3. Lemon and Pomegranate Lip Cream

C.O. Bigelow Lemon and Pomegranate Lip Cream

I'm not so crazy about this one. For one, the smell/taste isn't as I was expecting. It's really strong and sour. I'm glad the lip balm isn't that bad. Secondly, the consistency is less than satisfactory. When I first used (and I mean first time only) it came out of the squeeze tube very similarly to Carmex's lip balm. It was thick and rich. When I went to apply it the second time, it was all runny. It was like the contents separated and I was only getting the flavoring. I've applied it several times more, each time hoping that more of the solid stuff will come out, but it hasn't so far. The clear and very fluid substance feels very thin and sometimes has an almost granually feel. Je n'aime pas. It doesn't even condition the lips very well. I'll keep using it and update this post if I eventually do get some of the balmy stuff.

I hope this was informative and possibly opened your thoughts to a new area of BBW to look at. Maybe I was the only person who hadn't explored it. Either way, I hope you have a great day!

~Stacie

9 Lip Products I'm Loving Right Now

Hey all! Today is not a haul, and it's not a product review. What a shock! That's all I feel I do on here. I thought I would mix it up and expand my horizons, especially since I can now that I have some free time. I didn't want to call it lip colors for Spring/Summer 2013 because I'm not up-to-date on trends, and I hate to mislead people into thinking if they follow this post, they will be completely on trend. These are just some lip products I really like and I feel like they fit into the season.

1. Blistex Five Star Lip Protection SPF 30

Blistex Five Star Lip Protection

As soon as the warm weather hits, everyone wants to go outside! And if you're in the sun, you need protection--and not just your skin. Your lips are made of some of your body's most delicate skin so you really need to protect them from sunburn. Honestly, you need to protect your face and lips all year 'round, so this is great to always have.

It leaves your lips feeling super conditioned, and some people have even compared this to a lip primer. If you do use this as a lip primer, put it on at least 30 minutes and blot off extra before applying lipstick, because it's pretty emollient and it might make your lipstick slide around. Besides conditioning the lips, it protects against five harsh conditions (hence the name "Five Star"): dryness, sun, heat, cold, and wind.  It's only a couple bucks and it's worth every penny!

2. Revlon Juicy Papaya Lip Butter

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

We've entered into a great time for lip products where makeup companies are creating wonderful products caught somewhere in between lip balm and lipstick. They're super comfortable, and can usually be built up or worn very sheer. I tried to show that quality in the picture above--that's why there's two swatches. The swatch on the left is the fuller pigmentation, and the swatch on the left is more sheer. It's kind of hard to tell in the picture, but there is a difference. The lip butters are not the most versatile in pigmentation, but you can get at least two intensities with little effort.

Pretty much everyone knows that the Lip Butters are very comfortable to wear, so I won't go on about that too much. I want to talk more about the color and why I think it would be good for the season. Juicy Papaya is a great coral shade that looks a lot more orange on its own, but when it's worn or swatched, it somehow looks a lot more pink. I don't know how it does it. I definitely recommend this shade because it's a great bright for people who don't like to go super intense.

3. Maybelline Pink Punch Baby Lips

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Pink Punch

Going along with the tinted lip balm and bright color theme, Pink Punch is also great. It's more of a hot pink, and I really like it. The Baby Lips are a little weird because when you first apply them, they look a little odd--none of the shades are anything like a person's real lip color--but as you wear them a little, the color tones down and fits your coloring better. They also don't look heavy, so it almost looks like you stained your lips and wore a gloss over it. A very nice effect.

4. Milani Fruit Punch Color Statement Lipstick

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Fruit Punch

I've already gone on about this lipstick a little in my recent Spring Haul, so I won't say too much more here. It is nice for spring since it's a warmer version of a cross between hot pink and straight up pink. I really love the color and brightness it adds to your face. It makes you look more awake and alive. Very nice.

5. Rimmel London Dreamy Moisture Renew Lipstick

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Dreamy

I just have to say that this is probably one of my most favorite lipsticks anytime. It's a neutral with just the right amount of pink so it comes off as a lovely, muted pink. If you ever asked me if I wanted to wear this I wouldn't say no, that's for sure. I wanted to make sure I mentioned it in this post because Spring (in my mind) is a time for fresh faces and lovely pink lips that look a little more natural than most. So when I'm not worried about trends, that's what I go for.

6. Rimmel London Coral Shimmer Moisture Renew Lipstick

Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in Coral Shimmer

I'm actually surprised how pink this lipstick comes of in the swatch and picture. When I wear it, it seems a tad bit more orange. Oh well, I still like it. It goes along with the summery theme of corals and oranges. The color comes mostly from the creamy part of the lipstick, but there is an orangey-gold shimmer that gives the lipstick a bit more of the coral-y hue. That's probably why it looks oranger on the lips--there are more shimmer particles and they're closer together when actually applied to the lips, and it's easier for the light to catch them.

7. NYX French Kiss Mega Shine Lip Gloss

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in French Kiss

This lip gloss has fast become my favorite lip gloss. If I'm in the car, I'm probably applying a quick coat before heading into the building. If I'm sitting and doing nothing, my purse is nearby, and I haven't applied a coat recently, I'll probably grab the tube from my purse and slap some on. It is just so dang beautiful. The testament to how nice it looks with my coloring is that my mom actually likes it on me. You have no idea just how critical she is of my makeup. Looking back on some of what she's said in the past, I agree with some of it, so I appreciate it when she likes something I really like, too. This gloss has a great formula, it's rosy, it's shiny, it's GORGEOUS! Its sheen is a little golden, which I think helps make it so wearable. Also, it has a slightly fruity smell that I really like :)

8. L'oréal Paris Nude Touch Colour Riche Le Gloss

L'oréal  Paris Colour Riche Le Gloss in Nude Touch

This gloss is really similar to NYX's French Kiss, but there are some differences. The color is just a touch darker--it's really hard to see. Also, there's no golden sheen, so the color on your lips looks pinker. The color is what it says, nude. But really nude, not the "nude" that was trendy a couple years ago when people would conceal their lips and put super light pink lipstick and gloss over top. This nude is a neutral pink that just adds a little something to your face.

The Le Gloss line all has a nice scent that's hard to place. It's sweet, but I don't know exactly how to place the sweetness. Maybe like some kind of frosting? Yah, probably closest to butter cream frosting. That's making me hungry, haha. While L'oreal is a little more expensive than NYX ($8 compared to $5), it's more widely available, so if there's no NYX near you, head to your local drug store and pick up this beauty.

9. NYX Beige Mega Shine Lip Gloss

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Beige

I love this gloss for how creamy it is. The shine it has comes from the formula, not added sparkle and shimmer. It's nice to add some pink to your lips and not look too obvious. I actually wore this to an interview/meeting, and I thought it was very appropriate. So if you're feeling the need for some pretty, true pink, head out to Ulta or the NYX website and pick this baby up.

Combinations

I like all the above listed lip products on their own, but I also wanted to mention some combinations I like wearing as well. They each include at least one of the top 9 products.

Juicy Papaya and French Kiss

Here I dabbed Juicy Papaya all over my lips to give them a decent amount of color, and then placed French Kiss in the center of my bottom lip. I rubbed my lips together to spread the gloss and blend it in.

Pink Punch and Pink Wink

I coated my lips in Pink Punch and then put Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Pink Wink in the center of my bottom lip. Most of the time I put a lip gloss over that, but I liked the color and shine, so I decided to leave it as-is.

Fruit Punch, Nude Crème, and Fairy

I put Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Nude Crème all over my lips and then dabbed Fruit Punch in the center of my top and bottom lips. I used E.L.F. Hypershine Gloss in Fairy all over to blend the two lipsticks together. They kind of need the gloss's help because especially Nude Crème is a little bit on the thick side in the way of formulas.

Well, I hope this was helpful to you if you're looking for a new lip color to try. I'm excited for summer to be here and the months ahead filled with fun lip colors. Have a great day!

~Stacie

Collective Spring Haul

Hey all! I know it's been a while, but I've been pretty busy and I haven't had much time to think of posts.  I'm finally out of school for the summer, and I've done a bit of shopping.  I guess it's towards the end of spring, and the heat feels like summer, but I decided to call it a spring haul nonetheless.  Let's stay technical, shall we?

I'll break up the haul into brand and type of product.  Let's start with Jordana.  If you want to see the image larger and with more detail, just click on the picture.

Jordana Blush Powder in Redwood, Coral Sandy Beach, Blushing Rose, and Rose Silk

I found these at Kmart for about $2.50.  I heard about them through Melmphs on YouTube.  Before she said something, I didn't even know Jordana had blushes because I'd only ever seen the brand at Walgreens and they only sold the mascara, eyeliners, lip liners, and some lip glosses.  At Kmart there was a larger selection, including some eye shadows.  I recommend checking it out since the brand is pretty inexpensive. I think the single eye shadows were around $2.

This isn't a full review since I've just bought these and haven't had time to really test them, but I do want to warn you that Coral Sandy Beach and Blushing Rose are a bit on the powdery side.  Especially Coral Sandy Beach, which is a shame because it's really pretty.  It doesn't seem to want to show up on bare skin, but it shows up on foundation pretty well.  Redwood has some glitter in it, and feels kind of dry, but it's nicely pigmented.  Rose Silk is surprisingly pigmented.  When I swatched it, it was darker than it looked in the pan.  I think it's weird when that happens.  You'd think that what you see is the color you're going to get, but not all the time.  The colors are pretty nonetheless, and for $2.50, why not?

Jordana Easyliner Retractable Pencil for Lips in Baby Berry

This is a really pretty pink lip liner.  It is the epitome of a pink lip.  I've heard that some people like to use it for any pink they use, but I wouldn't put a lighter pink over it, I don't think, unless I like the two colors together, because this liner will show up.  It shows up, baby.  If I'm using a lip liner to help simply with staying power, I'm not going to use this because the color will interfere.  Still a pretty color, though.

On to Milani items!

Milani Baked Powder Blush in Luminoso and Corallina

Each blush was either $6 or $7, but that's not bad.  Luminoso was a little lighter than I was expecting--it could probably even be used as a highlighter for the right skin tone.  You'll have to do that figuring out for yourself!  It's too dark and a little too orange for me to do that.  But it's not dark enough really for me to use on its own as a blush, either.  I'll have to mix it with other colors, which is a shame because it is really pretty. Things to look out for: Luminoso has a sheen and Corallina has glitter.  I don't know why they put glitter in it, but I had an easy enough time knocking most of it off the brush.  It's a very pretty color and great for spring/summer.

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Nude Crème and Fruit Punch

These lipsticks were either $5 or $6.  Sorry I'm so sketchy on the details!  I remembered reading a post on beautybroadcast.net about the Milani color statement lipsticks, and I thought Fruit Punch was just GORGEOUS!  When I saw it at Kmart, I had to pick it up, and it was worth it! I really love the color.  It's a sort of fuschia/bright pink that's not too bright.  It's just right for me.  It also is a little bit warmer, which is good for my skin tone.  I also picked up Nude Crème because I thought I heard someone say they liked it, but I'm not sure it was Milani's brand.  It seems like every brand has a lipstick with the name "Nude Crème" or "Nude Delight" or "Creamy Nude" and I just get so confused.  I'm sorry I bought this because it's just a little too brown for me and it makes my lips and face look weird.  If I wear it, I usually dab it all over my lips and put Fruit Punch more in the center and wear a lip gloss on top to blend the colors together.  Fruit Punch just makes everything better.  

If you think the colors would work for you, check them out because the creamy texture is very nice.  Emily has done a comprehensive guide to all the Milani Color Statement lipsticks on her blog.  The four color families are Oranges & Reds, Pinks & Corals (which I've already linked to above), Naturals & Browns, and Plums & Berries.  Since the colors are pretty intense and there is quite a range of finishes, I recommend reading the posts before buying a shade to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into.  Some of the shades are little surprising in how they actually appear on the lips.

Now for the E.L.F. stuff!

E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color in Silver Lining

Finally, I can tell you with confidence that these eye shadows were only $1 a piece.  That's the nice thing about E.L.F. stuff.  Silver Lining had a bit of a hard time showing up on bare skin, but I'm sure with a base or even just a primer, the colors would show up much better.  It's not a problem for me since I wear an eye primer every day.

E.L.F. Brightening Eye Color in Day 2 Night

I got this eye shadow on a recommendation from Melmphs.  I think she said the purpley color on the middle left is a dupe (or close to a dupe) for MAC's Satin Taupe.  It's kind of flakey and patchy, but I haven't tried it on a primed lid yet.  It's pretty enough, but my favorite color is the top right triangle (swatched furthest on the right).

I also got another Butternut quad.  That's actually what you see in its packaging in the topmost picture.  I forgot to add in Day 2 Night, but I didn't want to have to set up everything again because I use a pillow as a backdrop and things get precarious as you add more and more items to the pile.  So I just decided to do a close up shot and add some swatches since that's what you really care about.

A Flower Beauty blush:

Flower Beauty Blush/Bronzer Duo in Gloriously Golden

I got a gift card to Wal-Mart and that was excuse enough for me to finally try something from this line.  It's pretty nice, but I wish the bronzer was a little darker so I could contour with it.  The next shade down looked like the bronzer was dark enough, but I thought the blush looked a little too dark for my tastes right now.  I like this blush, though, it's really pigmented and the color is nice.  It's like someone took a baby pink and threw in a little bit of a hot pink, but not much.

And a Rimmel London product:

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick in Tempting Turquoise

As you probably know, teal/turquoise is the color for summer, so I had to pick this up.  I wanted to get one of the eye liners, but they were all out.  It doesn't matter, though, because this is also waterproof and has more product since it's larger.  I love the color and it really does have some great staying power.  I still have to test it for some true waterproofability.  Just made up a word there--just for you!  Don't you feel special?

So that's it for now.  This silly post took three days to complete!  I started it two days ago, but then realized I needed to edit the pictures (zoom in on the actual product and get rid of all the background junk) and add the names.  Yesterday I edited the pictures and got half the words done, and now I'm actually finishing.  That's what I get for working on it late at night and then running out of time/steam.  Oh well, at least it's finally finished!

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll hopefully talk to you soon!
~Stacie